Another World, Story, Life, Without Regrets
by Dare-to-Take-Flight
Summary: What if Daphne couldn't leave the island? Would her life in "the other world" be better then the other one that she could have lived? Rated T to be safe.
1. To Join Locaha

To My Reader,

I've included the last page or so of the book to refresh you memory of how the book ended.

As always, all recognizable characters belong to Terry Pratchett

Enjoy!**  
**

*Dare-To-Take-Flight*

Another World, Another Story, Another Life,

Without Regrets

**Chapter One: At The Whim of The Sea**

_"The right way. It's the sun_rise_ wave, and we are its children, and we will not go into the dark again. I vow it. It's a new world. It needs new people. And you are right. Your father is a good man, but he needs you more than . . . this island does." _

_"Well, I think-"_

_ "He needs you strength," Mau went on. "I've watched you together. You give his world a shape. He will give your poor nation a shape. You must be with him on that ship. You must be by his side. In your heart you know this. You will have a purpose. People will listen." He took her hand. "I told you Imo made many worlds. I told you that sometimes I think I can see a little into the world where the wave did not happen. Well, now you will get onto that ship, or . . . you won't. Whatever you choose, you choice will mean there are two new worlds. And perhaps sometimes, on the edge of sleep, we will see the shadow of the other world. There will be no unhappy memories." _

_"Yes, but-"_

_ "No more words. We know them all, all the words that should not be said. But you have made my world more perfect."_

_ Frantically, Daphne sought for something to reply, and came up with: "The bandage on Mrs. Whi-ara's leg should come off tomorrow. Er, I still don't like the look Caah-a's hand; the Wren's surgeon said he thought it was getting better, but it's worth waking up Mrs. Gurgle to have a look at it. Oh, and don't let her fool you-she can't chew meat with those gold teeth, so someone else needs to do it, and . . . I'm getting this wrong, aren't I . . .?"_

_Mau laughed. "How can that be wrong?" He kissed her on the cheek, a little clumsily, and went on: "And now we both walk away, without regrets, and when we meet again, it will be as old friends." _

_Daphne nodded and blew her nose on her last good handkerchief. And the ship sailed away. And Mau went fishing. He owed a fish to Nawi._

Yes, the ship sailed away. As Daphne boarded the ship, she sat down upon one of the many barrels crowding the deck and readied herself to slowly watch the Nation disappear. She uncrossed her legs, as it would be improper for someone of her stature to sit as though she still lived on the island, as though she still controlled her life to it's fullest. But that was when her thoughts seemed to come together as a jigsaw's pieces fit into place at last. Her life, her new life, was not back in England with her father, the civilized life that she had always known until a few months ago. No. It was with the Nation, helping Mau to rebuild his people to their former glory. It while bandaging wounds and having her voice heard where she had found her true self. She quickly turned to her father, and no words where needed. He could see the determination in her eyes, and she could see the sorrow and pride in his heart. And the last true vision that she had of her father was him smiling the grin she had seen so many times in her childhood when she did something that he was proud of, even though it would almost make him cry. And then she jumped. The icy waters were like knives upon her skin. And then she suddenly realized how careless she'd been!

"How thick-headed of me!" she thought. "I may have been able to go swimming many times as I cared at the island, but that was when I was only three garments away from being as clothes less as a newborn babe!" and those where her final thoughts as her many skirts pulled her underneath the water's surface to join Locaha.

To My Reader:

More will be coming! Keep posted!

*Dare-To-Take-Flight*


	2. Sweept Away

Chapter 2:

Mau observed with mixed curiosity and joy as he watched the ghost girl jump over the side of the canoe-bigger then Imo. But then fear overtook all of his thoughts as he saw her struggling against the water's many rapids and being pulled under the surface and out of his view to surely join Locaha. Mau's thoughts seemed to speed up as though he had just run around the island twice, and it took more then a few seconds for him to throw down his fishing net and start running. But once he did, he ran faster then he could ever remember. Faster then when he was he was running away from the sow after taking some of her milk. Faster then when he fought the strange trouser-man, and, yes, even faster then when he had been running to join death itself A few times he was tempted to glace down at his feet to see if they had sprouted wings, but he dared not least he lose sight of the place where he had last seen the ghost girl. When he reached the water, he did not break his stride. He just continued to run straight out into the ocean and when his feet could no longer get a gripping, he swam as fast as a minnow from a shark. All the time, his thoughts were in frenzy.

"What do I do once I reach her? Oh, please don't let her be dead! Locaha, her time has not come yet! Not now, not now! Better she have stayed with her father who needed her then to try to return to the Nation and be claimed by you!"

At last he reached the end of the line that was him that was pulling him towards her. Without another thought, he dived down into the deepest waters to bring her back to daylight.

"This must be what it feels like to die." Daphne though as she was tossed around on the rapids as though she were no more then a rag doll.

"To be utterly at peace with everything. I do wish I had said good-bye to everyone: to father, to Mau, and even to Grandmother. But, I have no regrets of my decision. It is better to die here where I have found my true soul then to live a fake one back in England. I am ready, Locaha, I am ready for you to take me." 

_Ah, so you believe in me Ghost Girl_

"Yes, I believe in your. I saw your palace, and felt the terror and peace that you spread all at one time. I know you memory fish and I swim with them now." 

_You are indeed a girl of great power. It is indeed a sad fate that you have befallen, for you could have gone far and helped your island, or you could have gone back to your distance land and been the strength for your father. But now you are none of that. You are like dust in the wind, like seaweed in the ocean, and you shall become a dolphin just like you long lost brothers and sisters of the Nation. So, come, Ghost-Girl. Come with me now and avoid all the struggling in the water. Look at me just once and grab hold of my hand and I will take you away from here without pain, which is much more fortunate then many others who have passed you way._

But as Daphne turned to look at him she felt her hand enclose around something real, around a human hand. But as she turned to look at the face, she last sense of knowing flew away and she was lost in a world of nothingness and cold.

He was panicking, Mau knew, but he couldn't help it. He had finally reached her, but now the last of his strength was fleeing from him as quickly as the bubbles that were ascending before him. He knew that she was alive, he had felt her hand hold onto his for a second, but then he had seen her eyes close and she was tossed around as if she were no more then one of the rag-dolls that a mother would make for her child when it was barely old enough to walk.

"But, no!" he thought.

"She's must more then just a ripped piece of clothing!"

And that was when he found the determination to pull her up to life that was the water-less world above them. However, no matter how hard he kicked and struggled, she always kept sinking. That was when he took out his hunting knife and cut away all of the strange skirts that she wore save for the grass skirt and the strange leg covering that she always wore underneath. But by the time that all that was done, he to was almost starting to hear Locaha, and that was when he prayed to any gods that did exist, and to anyone that might save them, and gave himself up to the current.

AN:

Tell me what you think, I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going with this, it all depends on you!

PS. I really had fun with Locaha!

*Dare-To-Take-Flight*


End file.
